You paint dreamscapes on the wall
Rio’s night after that interview consisted of twists and turns as she tried to fall asleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, she was transported back to the snug chicken shop restaurant. The smell of the deep fried foods on the table were being masked by the smell of Agatha’s detergent that stuck to her clothes. The sight of Agatha’s lips, curving itself around the rim of the Coca-Cola can every time Rio had asked her a risky question without having anything to lose.
Everything Rio said at the interview was true. If they had met in any other situation, at any other event, they would have gone on a real official date. Everything about Agatha left Rio wanting more. More of their banters that didn’t seem like banters. More of the moments that Rio studied how Agatha licked her lips after taking a sip of a drink. More of Agatha breaking eye contact because Rio saw the fear in her eyes if she looked at her a second more. More of the feeling that Rio had of not having anything to lose because she did not have Agatha yet.
As the singer finally finds a thought to fall asleep to, she is woken up by buzzing from her phone. Hundreds of notifications piled up from YouTube and Rio guessed it can only be for one reason.
RIO VIDAL - CHICKEN SHOP DATE
Rio sat up as she leaned on her headboard, putting the video on fullscreen. Her excitement overpowering every other emotion, despite having been on the date less than 24 hours ago. She watched the episode, rewinding at times where the camera caught Agatha’s panicked eyes or when her cheeks flushed with the color of her lips.
While the video kept her entertained for half an hour, it was nothing compared to the comments.
“So we definitely just watched them on a real date trying to act like it’s a fake date.”
“Rio did not take one single bite of chicken but she ATE.”
“This video is either an absolute masterclass in acting or a public declaration of love, there is no in between.”
“Rio was so genuine once she started asking Agatha about a chance for a real date that Agatha couldn’t even process what’s fake or not.”
“Rio asking Agatha all the questions despite being the guest will never not be funny.”
“Agatha has never been THIS smiley and nervous on one of the dates. Rio might have broken Agatha’s fourth wall.”
Rio felt assured by the comments that it wasn’t just her being manipulated by her emotions throughout that whole date. She may have watched previous episodes and accidentally developed a crush on the host, but only did she understand her attraction to Agatha when Rio sat across from her.
Rio needed to see her again. She opened google maps on her phone and looked at the streets that she took while driving to the set. She searched up coffee shops close to the proximity of the restaurant and looked for the logo similar to the coffee cup that Agatha had drank from after the date.
After seeing what Rio was looking for, she went to sleep assured with a plan for where she’ll be tomorrow morning.
-
“Rio was so locked in on getting Agatha that she forgot she was supposed to eat during the date LMFAO”
“Rio leading the interview like she can’t deny that she’s interested.”
“Rio wanted an actual date omg”
“That should be Agatha’s last chicken shop date. I don’t want to see her with anyone else. She found it. Thank you.”
That last comment caused Agatha to put down her phone and start her day. The editors for the videos take at least 3 days to create a finished product. Watching it, Agatha had realised that there were barely any cuts made. Everything they had said, the world now knows. The last thing Agatha needed was for Rio’s massive fanbase to start keeping tabs on her and the “romance” she now has with the singer.
Agatha thinks about yesterday's events throughout her whole morning routine. From the start of her shower until she drops Nicky off at daycare. As Agatha gathers her things to go inside her usual coffee shop, Alice calls her.
“Hello?” Agatha answers.
“I just wanted you to know you’re trending right now.”
Agatha sighs, “I know. I already saw the YouTube comments.”
“That’s nice, but you’re also trending on social media,” Alice adds.
“Like,” Agatha pauses to take a deep breath. “On twitter?”
“Yes. Agatha, there are clips from the date that people are obsessing over. Specifically, the one where Rio asks you the possibilities of going on a date outside of the show,” Alice says.
Agatha closes her eyes and massages her temples. “What do I do?”
“Well,” Alice pauses. “You could just go on a date with her.”
Agatha scoffs playfully. “That’s literally the opposite of what I want to do.”
Alice starts, “Agatha, I was there. That whole date was different from all the previous ones. There was a real connection between the two of you.”
“The only thing different was that I was just blushing a lot in this episode. Other than that, I still have not changed my rules about who I can go out with,” Agatha said.
“It wasn’t just that,” Alice responds. “Everyone can see how hard Rio was trying to make you say yes to a real date. Everyone also saw how it affected you , when it usually doesn’t. It was real for her and now everyone is rooting for the both of you. And Agatha? Once again. You are a famous person. People know who you are so just hit two birds with one stone, email her manager, and get her number.”
“You have officially gone insane,” Agatha jokes.
“So did the rest of the internet because I’m just repeating everything I have read since the episode came out,” Alice justified. “And you know the video has 8 million views in 10 hours, right?”
Agatha blinked repeatedly. She did not know that. “I knew that.”
“Agatha,” Alice starts. “For real, though. You don’t even feel a tiny crush on her? You don’t have a small part of your brain that wants to explore a relationship with her? Not a bit of curiosity of what would happen if you saw her again?”
“We only met once,” Agatha sighed.
“That wasn’t my question.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to answer the question.”
“Alice, this happened before already. I tried dating someone famous and it didn’t work out. Why would I put myself through the process of the whole thing all over again if I know what’s going to happen?” Agatha asks in defeat. She reaches for her sunglasses in the glove compartment of her car, assuming this call was reaching the end.
Alice sighs. “What if it doesn’t end like that though? It doesn’t always have to end like that.”
Agatha stares out the window of her car, catching a glimpse of two women walking down the street, hand in hand, stride for stride. “It’s the only ending I’ve seen.”
-
Rio woke up to the glare of her bedroom window. She felt slightly panicked but felt relieved as the time showed that it was only 8am. She had planned to wait out in the cafe where she thinks Agatha will get her morning coffee. As Rio got ready, she started overthinking if this was a good idea. Was this considered stalking? Whatever happened to asking mutual friends for numbers?
She took her keys and picked up a New York Liberty hat to hide from paparazzi. The singer had picked up multiple habits when hiding from people that try to shove their large cameras up her face. Since she has been in the spotlight for quite some time now, she has learned how to live with it. Rio wasn’t ashamed of being famous. She never had a reason to be.
Rio likes to think that one of the things that was keeping her from losing her sanity when it comes to stolen privacy was that she is famous enough to keep security around her at all times. For every disadvantage that fame brought upon Rio, she tried her best to think of ways to gain it back as close as she could. Not that it worked all the time- it doesn’t usually. But if it does, Rio takes that as a win.
Driving through the roads she took yesterday had the singer feeling excited. Although there was no guarantee that Agatha would be there, Rio wanted to, at the very least, try. She parked by the street before entering the cafe. Rio orders and sits down in front of the window by the door methodically, gaining a view of people that walk by the cafe and ones that choose to enter.
To stall for time, Rio decides to look on Twitter and clicks on one of the trending topics which just so happens to be ‘Agathario.’ She scrolled on the social media platform, amused and liking multiple posts on her burner account. Many fans were entertained at how Rio took multiple opportunities to reach across the table just to brush with Agatha’s hands. Many fans made edits, counting how many times Agatha blushed instead of replying to everything Rio had said.
Looking back at it, Rio noticed how Agatha’s body language changed midway through the interview once the questions started talking about a date outside of the Chicken Shop setup. It didn’t change to the point that Agatha was uncomfortable, but to the extent that Agatha seemed like she wanted to change the topic while still playing along to whatever ideas Rio was entertaining.
As she mindlessly kept reading tweets, Rio caught a glimpse of someone familiar walking by the glass wall outside the coffee shop. Agatha Harkness. Unaware that she was doing it, Rio started holding her breath as if it would get Agatha’s attention and scare her off like a stray cat. Rio watches as the host makes her way towards the door of the cafe. Rio’s eyes glued to Agatha’s veined hand grip the handle of the door, stepping aside and allowing for a woman with a stroller to enter the building before she does. Rio watched Agatha smile down at the child as the child and mother passed through the doorway.
At this point, Rio had been staring at Agatha long enough that she felt like she was in a trance– which Rio was.
Rio darts her gaze to the glimpse of Agatha’s neck which had been exposed as Agatha brushes her hair off her shoulders and looks up to the menu to pick her choice of coffee. She takes her sunglasses off and places them on her chest, hanging it off her shirt. The only thing going through Rio’s mind more than Agatha’s neck are her eyes. While Rio was too busy throughout the date on trying to charm Agatha for a date, the singer had not noticed until now how truly compelling her eyes were.
Rio Vidal was used to all the cameras in a room being pointed at her and for everyone’s eyes to be focused on her. It was what she lived for. Despite what Rio has known ever since she started being famous, she couldn’t deny what the universe revealed to her in that moment. From here on out, Rio Vidal has never known how to properly be watched, studied, and admired if it wasn’t by Agatha Harkness’ eyes.
And from here on out, Rio Vidal had not known what she would live for.
“Rio?” Agatha said, interrupting the singer’s daydreams.
Rio’s face lights up as she was once again, in close proximity with Agatha. “Hey! So random seeing you here,” Rio smiled, trying to act like she did not spend an hour last night figuring out what coffee shop Agatha would visit today.
“Yeah…” Agatha said, prolonging the end of the word. “Do you go here regularly?”
Shit. Rio had to think of something fast before Agatha came to the correct conclusion that Rio had just stalked her after a day of knowing her.
“I stopped by for coffee here yesterday before I made my way to the restaurant. I ended up liking it so I went back today,” Rio quickly came up with a normal reason for her to be here. “What about you? Are you a regular here?” Rio added, standing up from her stool and pulling out the chair next to her for Agatha to sit.
Agatha smiled ‘thank you’ and sat down while Rio grinned to herself. “That explains why I’ve never seen you before. But yeah, I go here almost every morning.”
“Maybe I should start too, right?” Rio jokes.
Agatha looks at her wide-eyed. “Don’t you live closer to downtown LA?” she asks.
“Yeah. Why?” Rio said, sipping her cup.
“Well isn’t that like,” Agatha paused to think. “30? 40 minutes from here?”
“Yeah.” Rio said casually. “Coffee doesn’t have to be the only thing I can come here for.”
Agatha’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh, yeah? What else, then?” Agatha said cautiously.
“You.”
Agatha knew Rio would say that. She scoffs jokingly. “You know there’s no cameras around anymore. You don’t have to act flirty anymore.”
Rio gave her a puzzled look. “Woah, woah, woah. First, I am not ‘acting flirty,’” Rio said with air quotes. “Maybe I am just flirting and have no shame in it. Second, why do I need cameras to flirt? Can’t I just show you I’m interested without having lenses shoved in our faces?”
If Agatha’s heart skipped a beat earlier, then that question made her heart stop. “Interested?”
Rio tucked both her arms under the booth as she started fidgeting with her hands. “Well, yeah. I kind of assumed you already knew I was interested from yesterday.”
Agatha looked at Rio with a sort of sadness that the latter can already make out to be a rejection. If someone had told Rio that she would have been getting rejected right now by someone that she had just met 24 hours ago, she would’ve laughed at their face.
“Rio…” Agatha started.
“Why?” Rio beat her to it, half of her agonised that Agatha seems to be letting her down while the other half just didn’t want to hear her say no to her.
“I just don’t feel comfortable dating someone…” Agatha stopped mid-sentence to try and find the right word. "-in the middle of it all.”
“Like,” Rio furrowed her eyebrows. “Famous?”
Agatha nodded slowly, looking at Rio with her eyes that looked apologetic.
“Well, aren’t you famous?” Rio asked.
“I guess I am. But in a way that’s subtle,” Agatha justified. She already got many talks from Alice that this excuse will never hold up in court. Let alone, to a lesbian.
“So, you’re saying I’m too famous for you? Not that you’re not interested in me? Because you are interested in me?” Rio clarified.
Agatha rolled her eyes playfully and nodded again. She breaks eye contact before she could start blushing again.
Rio sighed. “Is there anything I can do for one real date?”
“Rio,” Agatha sighed back at her, reaching for the singer’s hands which were in her lap. “It’s not that my reason is that you’re famous. A lot of people want to date someone famous. It’s just that I can’t date someone famous. It’s a ‘me’ thing. It just doesn’t work.”
Rio looked at her lap as she tried not to show how much Agatha’s hands that held hers were affecting her. The sensations that Rio got from the way Agatha’s thumbs swiped across her knuckles, ever so comforting her through such a hard conversation. This reminds Rio to respond. “What do you mean it doesn’t work?”
Agatha lets go of Rio’s hand to take another sip of her beverage. “I mean it exactly how I said it. It just doesn’t work.”
Rio instantly misses the contact as her eyes followed Agatha’s hands to her cup, holding it tightly as she brought it to her lips that blew on the hot coffee. Rio looks at Agatha as she yearns to see this sight every morning. In her house. In Agatha’s place. In this coffee shop. Rio didn’t care where she could watch Agatha drink coffee, just as long as she could.
Rio refuses to give up. “I don’t think you do. Maybe what you mean to say is that it hasn’t worked yet,” she said.
Agatha cracks a light smile, “Rio, this type of relationship already happened to me in the past. We liked each other, we dated, we got married, it got too much, then we broke up. It just feels like I’m self-sabotaging if I start something that I already know has a long shot of working, if it even works at all.”
“I don’t know who you were with in the past but that’s not me,” Rio begged. “Agatha, if you choose to go out with me, my job is not to prove to you that you can be with someone famous. If you choose to go out with me, I will show you that I can appreciate you, celebrate you, be patient with you, support you, and take care of you, despite being famous.”
Agatha thinks. She really thinks. Why was Agatha thinking about this? Up until today, she never gave someone famous a second thought. Would Agatha really change her entire belief on relationships just because of one person?
Agatha pursed her lips to the side before saying, “Rio, your world will not end if I say no. You can literally have anyone you want.”
“If that’s true then I can have you,” Rio shrugged, catching Agatha by surprise.
Agatha raised an eyebrow. “So, I’m just ‘anyone’ to you?”
“Well, no,” Rio perked up, hopeful at Agatha’s change in her tone. “You’re the only one to me.”
Agatha squinted her eyes. “I use Spotify, not Apple Music,” Agatha stated, challenging Rio.
“My music is on both platforms.”
“I don’t watch WNBA.”
“As of now, I don’t either,” Rio said, taking off her NY Liberty cap, tossing it jokingly on the counter.
“I have a child.”
“I love children.”
“I’m going to keep dating people on the show.”
“As long as you come home to me, that’s fine with me.”
Agatha had one last card to play.
“I think I snore in my sleep.”
Rio raised an eyebrow. “You think?”
Agatha shrugged, “I’ve never heard myself snore.”
Rio smiles. “Doesn’t matter. I still want you.”
Agatha shook her head as a smile crept up on her lips.
“So?” Rio gestured. “Can I cook dinner for you?”
“When do you want me?”
Rio grins, victorious.